Without You
by PenForYourThoughts
Summary: This story is set in a universe where everything happens except Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this!
1. Still

Still

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.

A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens _except_ Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!

The end began on sunny day in December. Everyone was relaxing on a huge blanket Ursula brought, and the light breeze that danced over them gave Hero a sense of contentment. Bea and Ben were lying on their stomachs at the edge of the blanket, ripping up grass and dropping it in each other's hair. They laughed, and Hero felt a lightness in her heart at the knowledge that her cousin and best friend had someone she liked so much. She moved her hand further to the right, searching for the hand she knew would be there. Claudio entwined his fingers with hers and squeezed a bit.

They were still figuring out where they wanted their relationship to go. Sometimes Hero couldn't hear his voice without remembering him screaming obscenities at her, and Claudio was obviously walking on eggshells every time they were together. But Hero had forgiven him, so she still held his hand, even when she could feel those same hands gripping her wrists and jerking her around.

"You okay?" The question came as a whisper in her ear. She nodded and turned to smile at her boyfriend.

Wanting to alleviate the worry she saw in Claudio's eyes, Hero added, "I was just thinking how perfect Bea and Ben are for each other." Claudio just nodded and went back to his previous conversation with Pedro.

After a few more minutes, Balthazar, who had been gracing the group with some of his new songs, put his guitar down. "My fingers are sore." He pouted a bit at Pedro, and his best friend got an ice cube from the cooler next to him. Pedro picked up Balth's hand and rubbed the ice over the ends of his fingers. The two smiled at each other in a way that made everyone else in the group look away. Hero watched, though, and she saw a small amount of pain in Balthazar's eyes as Pedro let go of his hand as the last of the ice melted.

Ben cleared his throat, and the awkwardness dissipated as quickly as it began. After all, Pedro was oblivious to Balth's feelings, Balth was too shy to share his feelings, and the no one in the group wanted to push the musician, especially after "An Ode" had failed so miserably.

While the ice incident was unfolding, Ursula had pulled a small radio from her bag. As the mother of the group, she always had supplies with her.

Meg grabbed the radio and started pressing buttons. "Let's listen to some pop!" A collective groan rose from the group, but Meg ignored them happily. "There, now that's some good music!" This time, no one tried to correct her, but Hero could see Balthazar roll his eyes as what she recognized as "Blank Space" came through the impressively strong speakers. Despite all the amazing things about the musician, he was definitely a music snob, and he let his distaste for all things Top 40 show.

Bea, however, sat up, locked eyes with Hero, and started belting out, "Boys only want love if it's torture!" On the last word, she mimed stabbing Ben in the heart, and he keeled backwards in obvious agony. Groans and cries of "my heart" were heard from Ben while Bea continued to sing-scream the remaining lyrics. Everyone knew not to interrupt their theatrical moment. It would pass, hopefully.

As Bea ended with, "And I'll write your name," and an exaggerated wink at the final *click* sound, the entire group was laughing at her antics. Balthazar clapped and joked, "I think you actually just made that song palatable. Nice job." Even when he was being sarcastic, the boy always seemed to make it sound genuinely nice. Claudio had once told Hero that Balth was her male counterpart, but she was pretty sure he was a lot nicer than her.

"And now, some new music from Nick Jonas. I just can't get enough of this song!" The radio DJ seemed a bit too enthusiastic, even by Hero's standards. She listened to the first few bars of the song, realizing she had never heard it before. It had a nice groove, but she quickly got caught up in a conversation with Bea and Meg. However, the song still lingered in the periphery of Hero's attention. The group got quiet for a second, a lull that usually would be filled with laughter at how awkward it was. This time, though, the words from the radio could be heard clearly.

_I mean no disrespect. It's my right to be hellish; I still get jealous. _

Hero's breath caught in her throat for a second, then her hand pulled away from Claudio's without her even thinking. It had burned her; the hand she had held so many times before, through good and bad, had suddenly felt like red hot agony in hers. Memories from her sixteenth birthday flooded Hero's mind - memories of Claudo, face contorted in rage, looking like the devil himself. He _had _been hellish, in that moment. And she knew then that she would never be able to hold that hand again.

Balthazar saved the day by grabbing the radio and switching it off. No one said a word. Beside her, Hero could sense Claudio's whole body slump. He knew.

"Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I fucking hate Nick Jonas. Such a douchebag, am I right?" Thank God for Ben. Everyone else mumbled and nodded in agreement that Nick Jonas was, in fact, the worst. Ever. Still, no one looked at Hero or Claudio. They all somehow knew it was the end.

* * *

><p>Hero closes the photo album that's resting on her lap. Despite the events that had followed that fateful picnic, Ursula, in her all-knowing way, gave Hero some of the better pictures from the day. The one that had caught her attention this time was an image of her, head thrown back in laughter, as Ben and Bea had a tickle fight in the grass.<p>

God, she misses Bea.

Shaking her head to clear the grip her memories have on her mind, Hero puts the album back on the shelf behind her. Time to dress for dinner with her husband.


	2. Phobia

Phobia

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.

A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens _except_ Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!

It was almost done. The project he had been working on for sleepless weeks was finally coming together. With a sigh, Balthazar pushed his chair back from the desk and stretched. He would allow himself a few minutes to relax and unwind - then back to the grindstone.

Balth had exactly eighteen hours till midnight struck, and he was determined to get everything perfect for his friend's birthday. After all the work he had put into the project, he was afraid he would mess it up in the final hours and have nothing to surprise Pedro with. And after Pedro's birthday gift to him earlier in the year, failure was not an option. Despite the concert being completely sold out months in advance, his friend had shown up on his doorstep with two Mumford and Sons tickets. The evening had been magical (Balth tried to tell himself Pedro's presence had only contributed a small amount to his happiness).

Now, he had a project to get back to. There was no way in hell Pedro was going to beat him at giving presents.

* * *

><p>Silence was not quite the reception he was hoping for, but it was most definitely the one he got.<p>

Balthazar was sitting on the bed next to his friend, laptop perched on his knees so both of them had a good view. He wanted to look at Pedro, but he stared at the carpet instead.

Ten minutes earlier, he had let his friend into the room. 11:50. Now, at 12:05, he was starting to regret all the time he had put into the present. Pedro obviously hated it.

It had seemed like such a good idea three weeks ago - "Ablutophobia" was Pedro's favorite song by Sheep, Dog & Wolf, and Balth decided to cover it. He certainly had enough instruments to recreate the sound. Before showing it to his friend, Balthazar had actually been quite pleased with the result. It sounded like him but kept everything that made the song so great: the layering of instruments, the sparse vocals.

Reaching for the laptop to close it seemed to break Pedro from his silence. "That. Was. Amazing. That was… ugh… I can't even think of the words right now. Can we listen to it again?" Pedro's hand was on his, keeping him from shutting the computer.

"So, you liked it?" Balthazar didn't mean for his voice to come out so small, so unsure. For the first time since he pressed play on the video, he looked at his friend's face and quickly looked away. The tangle of emotions in Pedro's eyes confused him. He pressed play again.

Pedro's head was resting on his shoulder by the end of their fourth viewing. "I think I could listen to that forever." Balth scoffed. "I mean it, Balthy. I felt the same watching "An Ode." I mean, how many people are lucky enough to have a best friend who writes and performs music just for them?" Pedro put his hand on Balth's knee. "This is by far the best birthday present I've ever gotten."

"I - I'm glad you like it. Happy Birthday!" They hugged and spent the rest of the night talking about music until they both fell asleep on Balth's bed.


	3. Hands

Hands

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.

A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens except Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!

I woke up this morning knowing today was the day. It's not something I can explain, this knack I have for sensing unfortunate events. I just have it, and I wish I didn't.

Now, as I'm sitting in this chair, holding the hand of the only woman I've ever loved, I understand what it means to be lost. It doesn't feel like I'm in a tunnel with no light to guide me, or a huge forest with branches blocking my sight. No, it feels like my senses are turned up all the way, like the lights are on too bright, like I can see everything and everyone around me in excruciating detail. I just can't manage to give a fuck about any of it.

The nurse's voice means nothing; the beeping of the various machines means nothing. The only thing that matters is the hand in mine, and it's limp and pale. A limp, pale lifeline that's keeping me grounded. I don't care about anything else.

So when Ursula comes in, I don't mind her talking to the nurse. She knows what to say, even though the exhaustion in her eyes is all too apparent. I just sit and hold my lifeline. The nurse leaves with a quick touch to my shoulder, and Ursula's hand quickly replaces hers. Urs' hand is so warm, so comforting, and the hand in mine suddenly feels dead.

I still can't make myself let go.

End note: Sorry for the length - I just don't write sad stuff very well. The next chapter will be much happier (I think). I guess I should just let everyone know, the Ben/Bea storyline will all be from Ben's perspective, and it will jump around to different moments in their relationship, so there will definitely be happy Ben/Bea fluff. I'm just pushing myself as a writer to try my hand at some more angsty stuff as well. And there might be another pairing on the horizon…

Thank you again for reading! Please like/reblog/whatever if you like this series so far.


	4. On My Own

On My Own

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.

A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens except Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!

Hero runs to the front door to answer the incessant knocking, all the while pinning her braids into place around her head. You would think after having the same hairstyle for so long, she would be able to do it in her sleep. But, no, she still struggled with loose hairs and bent pins.

Her husband's parents were coming in today, and they had seen her with her hair a complete mess; Hero still liked to make a good impression, especially on her mother-in-law. The woman might not be her husband's real mother, but she definitely had filled in the role well. She had helped Hero through all sorts of situations - a couple of job searches, a false pregnancy, even an identity crisis. What more could one ask for in a mother, much less an in-law?

Her hair is finally in place as she arrives in the front hallway, and Hero opens the door.

Hero opened the door. He stood on the other side, fidgeting with his black button-up shirt, but immediately looked up when he saw her.

"Hey." He smiled shyly, the right side of his mouth upturned slightly more than the left. It was a quirk about him Hero loved. Not loved, liked. It was too soon for love. It was only their first date for goodness' sake.

"Hey to you, too! Let me get my coat, and we can head out." She grabbed her jacket and keys, stepped out onto the porch, and locked the door behind her. "So, where are we going?" Hero had said yes to his offer of a date without questions, and now she had no idea what he had planned.

"You'll see." Again, his smile made her heart skip a few beats.

He was driving her back from what she considered a very successful first date when it happened. As far as she could remember, it was the first time she ever heard him laugh - like, full on laugh. He had chuckled before over a stupid joke or a video of someone tripping over a cat or something like that, but this was the first time he let it out completely in front of her.

Music had been playing in the background as they drove. Hero noted his taste was eclectic, but good. As the final strains of Fife and the Drums' "Soldier On" died out, a familiar driving beat took over.

"Really? _Really? _You have this song?" He shrugged nonchalantly, but looked embarrassed. "Don't get me wrong, it's kind of an amazing song, I just didn't peg you as a Robyn person." Love of the song won out over his embarrassment, and he reached over and turned up the music, bobbing his head in time with it. Hero just stared.

As the lead-up to the chorus played, she readied herself for the inevitable. No one was truly able to listen to this song without singing and dancing of some sort, and she was not disappointed.

Like an explosion - "I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, OH OH OH!" They were both singing at the tops of their lungs, and he pulled over quickly when he realized his dancing might become dangerous. Hero had never danced so hard in a car before. By the end of the impromptu dance party, they were laughing uncontrollably. She almost stopped to watch him in all his hysterical glory, but her own laughter wracked her body until she was doubled over.

"Whelp, that was really fun." He had walked her to her door, but neither of them really made a move to end the evening.

"Is it wrong that "Dancing On My Own" was my favorite part? I mean, the dinner and everything was great, but that was just, well -" Hero couldn't help the giggle that escaped just remembering his dancing. And his singing. And his laughing.

He kicked at the wood paneling of the porch before looking her in the eye. Hero had noticed that from the beginning, that he didn't seem comfortable with eye contact. Hopefully he would get over that around her. "I really enjoyed it, too. I don't think I've laughed that hard since this one time Ben and I were hanging out."

Maintaining eye contact, he leaned forward a bit into her personal space, but she didn't mind in the slightest.

Hero looks over at her husband as he laughs at a joke his brother just made. He's learned over the years to laugh at the small things, a skill he attributes to her influence.

Thinking back to when they first met, she should be surprised she can look at him at all. But here she is, smiling at him. Somehow, the laughter has outweighed the tears, and she can't even feel the scars anymore.

Songs used in this chapter: Dancing On My Own by Robyn; Soldier On by Fife and the Drums (not a real band or a real song, but the Candle Wasters wish someone would write music under the band name, so feel free :) )


	5. Hurt

Hurt (Part I)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.

A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens except Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!

A soft rapping on Balthazar's bedroom door caught him off guard. He was in the middle of trying to slick his hair down, but it had a mind of its own. The gel he had globbed on it only seemed to add to the wildness.

"Coming!" He hoped his voice had carried enough to keep the person on the other side from barging in. With one last glance in his long closet mirror, Balth moved to the door and opened it. Tony was standing there, and his heart did a little flip.

With a grin, the other boy looked at him. "Wow, you clean up nice, Balthy. And it looks like I got the right color." Tony opened a small plastic box he had been hiding behind his back. Inside was a beautiful boutonniere with a on off-white rose that went quite well with Balthazar's dark blue shirt. "Here, let me put it on you. I promise not to stab you with the pin." He winked, and Balth just knew he was blushing. Tony leant forward to attach the flower. When it was fixed just right, he stepped back and Balth took his hand with confidence he wasn't even aware he had.

"Better get going. I know my mum is downstairs dying to take some pictures before her little boy gets swept off by Prince Charming." Balthazar said the last part with a slightly higher voice, mimicking his well-meaning mother, and the two boys laughed as they made their way downstairs.

Balthazar was having an amazing time. Considering the last dance he had gone to was in eighth grade, before he had actually come out, he didn't have high expectations in the first place. But amazing really was the word for the evening. Tony had danced every song with him: fast, slow, even the horribly in-between ones that everyone just awkwardly moved around to. Whoever had chosen the DJ needed to be fired (it was actually probably a Year 12, so they couldn't be fired), but still, some of the music was horrendous.

"I'm glad you said yes to coming with me." Balth had his head resting on Tony's chest as they danced. Without looking up, he smiled into the fabric of the taller boy's shirt and let himself be pulled in even closer.

"I'm glad, too. I never really thought I'd be dancing with anyone at a high school dance, much less a boy. There haven't really been many boys at the school who are publicly out."

Tony chuckled at that and dropped a kiss on Balthazar's head. "Balthy, you know, you're really cute." Balth was glad his face was still buried in the soft silk shirt, because he was pretty sure his blush had taken over his whole body.

"You're cute, too. Like, in a manly way. Not in an, aww what a cute kitten, way. But manly, and… yeah." He thought he had better end his sad little speech there before he ruined the moment more. Tony just chuckled again, and it send a gentle vibration to Balthazar's cheek.

The song ended, and the boys reluctantly stepped apart.

Tony inclined his head toward the drink table and asked, "What do you want to drink? I'll bring it to you. Free of charge." His smile was contagious, and Balth found himself saying something stupid about water, and how he would know if Tony spiked it. Seriously, why on earth would Tony spike water? Maybe it was best to not speak around Tony unless it was necessary. Otherwise, Balth might die from embarrassment at his own stupidity.

As Tony went for drinks, Balth felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "You having a good time, mate?" Pedro was smiling down at him and waggling those ridiculous eyebrows of his. Balthazar was so intoxicated by his previous proximity to Tony that he almost didn't feel the usual jolt to his heart that came from contact with Pedro. Almost, but not quite.

"Yeah, he's great, and it's all just - great! You?" He could see the slight falter in Pedro's smile before his friend recovered it.

"I'm having a great time, too!" Pedro's eye's quickly flickered to the corner where Balth knew Ben and Bea were dancing. Without talking about it, he had quickly picked up on the fact that the football captain still had feelings for the blond girl. He normally would have tried to draw out more from Pedro, but at that moment, Tony walked up with their drinks.

Balth's friends exchanged nods and quick questions about each other's evenings before Tony grabbed his hand for the next song. "Talk to you later, Pedro! Gotta get back to burning up the dance floor!" Balthazar did some eyebrow wiggling of his own while fake-shimmying backwards. Pedro grinned and raised his eyebrows in return at the ridiculous dancing. With one last look at his friend, Balth let Tony spin him around and into his arms.

Note: Hey readers, this is the first part of the school dance. I thought I would be able to get it all done tonight, but it's way too late, and the scene in my head is way too long. I'll hopefully have the second part up tomorrow!

Thanks for reading, and please comment/like/whatever if you're enjoying the story (or if you have any suggestions).


	6. Hurt (Part II)

Hurt

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.

A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens except Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!

Balthazar was well into his fourth cup of spiked punch when Pedro found him in the school's small courtyard. He looked up at the boy crouching in front of him, and the sudden movement of his head made him a bit dizzy. As much as he'd like to believe he could hold his alcohol, Balth knew that two drinks was really his limit.

"Heeeey, Peddy! Watchaaa doin?" His voice was shakier than he would have liked, and the words seemed to slur half-formed from his lips.

"Whoa there. Let's put that over here…" Pedro caught Balth's shoulder as he unknowingly tipped slightly and placed his cup of punch on the ground next to the bench he was slumped on. "Where's Tony? And how did you get like this so fast? I just saw you an hour ago."

"I-I drank four cups," Balth held up four fingers - wait, no, only three, but whatever. "And Tony's somewhere with Cleo. Making out or something." At least that's what they were doing when he had caught them.

After Tony swept him back to the dance floor, Balthazar lost track of how many songs they danced to. Each one melted into the next in a mix of Tony's smiles, Tony's laughter, Tony's hands, Tony's scent, Tony's chest. He was so happy. He wasn't even upset when Cleo tapped Tony on the shoulder and asked to talk to him. Balth knew they had some sort of history, but how could history trump the very real now he and Tony were having. The two walked off through the gym's double doors to the hallway outside.

"Hey Balth, how's your night going?" Benedick's voice startled him. The boy was standing behind him, holding Beatrice's hand. After a few weeks of trying hard to look like they hated it, the couple had finally embraced hand-holding, and now they did it all the time.

Balth smiled at them both. "It's actually going really well." He didn't trust himself to let on to them just how spectacular it was - he might just jinx the night. "You two definitely have some *ahem* awesome dance moves. Have you thought about going on some sort of competition show or something? You really have a chance at winning." Ben punched his arm playfully.

"Oi, shut up, Balth. We're the best dancers in here." Bea looked at her boyfriend before continuing, "Ya know what, we challenge you and Tony to a dance-off! Go find your boy-toy and bring him back so we can smoke you both." The couple looked proud of their future victory, and Balthazar didn't have the heart to tell them that the battle would end in tears and heartache for them. And possibly, knowing Ben's clumsiness, blood.

"Yeah, okay, I'll go find him. You just stay here and warm up. Not that it'll help." He muttered the last part just loud enough for them to hear. They were both spluttering half-assed comebacks as he left to find Tony.

The hallway outside the gym was empty, and Balth decided to head to the right. Hopefully Tony and Cleo had headed in that direction. He didn't have his phone on him, so calling his date wasn't an option. Walking down the school hallways at night was a bit creepy. The only lights that were on in this wing were the emergency lights, and Balthazar started to feel like he was in one of those American killer prom movies. On cue, a light a bit ahead of him flickered. He could feel his heart speeding up, and within a matter of seconds, it was racing. A noise from a classroom to his left made Balth literally jump. Against his better judgement, he crouch-walked awkwardly to the door and slowly peeked through the small window.

What he saw was possibly worse than a masked man with a chainsaw. No, it was definitely worse. He dropped back down before the kissing couple saw him. His heart was now racing for a completely different reason.

"What the hell do you mean Tony was making out with Cleo? Where's the bastard?" Pedro was still gripping Balthazar's shoulder, but his eyes were searching the courtyard as though Tony might be hiding out in one of the bushes.

"I'm not really sure. But don't be mad at him. You know he loves Cleo. He's been waiting for her forever." Balth had come to a realization while drinking his third cup of punch. As happy as he had been with Tony that night, if Pedro had asked him to drop everything and make out with him, Balth would have done it in a heartbeat. Hell, Balth would have dropped everything just to spend a few minutes alone with Pedro.

But here he was, alone with an angry, raging Pedro, and he only felt empty. His first crush besides his best friend ended up being in love, with a girl. Pedro was still hung up on Beatrice. Who else was there for him before he moved away after graduation? However, that was a different matter for a different time.

After a few minutes of talking Pedro down, Balth suggested they go back to the gym and enjoy the rest of the dance. The taller boy began to unfold from his crouched position when Balthazar reached out. Later, he would have no answer for what possessed him, but he pushed a piece of the ever-perfect hair behind Pedro's ear. Then the punch kicked in again, and he giggled.

"What?" His best friend was looking at him worriedly.

"Nothing. I just like your ears, that's all." Balth kept giggling as Pedro shook his head, smiled, and offered him a hand up.

Tony and Cleo had decided to pull the douche move of going back to the gym to dance, and Balthazar hated the sympathetic looks he got from his friends. Pedro wouldn't let him have any more punch, and he had also refused to move his steadying hand from around Balth's shoulders.

"Hey, you know what, I'm gonna head out if you want me to take him on my way." Ever the angel, Ursula gestured with her car keys in the direction of the doors.

"Nah, I've got him. He's small, but he might be too much for you to carry if he ends up passing out," Pedro said as he tightened his arm around Balthazar. It was hard for Balth to not melt into his friend's side.

Ursula left, and the two boys continued to stand at the edge of the gym watching the remaining students dance to music Balth would normally be making snide remarks about to Pedro. He just couldn't bring himself to care now.

"Okay, everyone, this is the last dance. So grab someone special!" The DJ started a slow song Balthazar wasn't sure he had heard before. It sounded nice, though.

A squeeze of his shoulder caused him to look at Pedro. "You wanna dance? It is the last one after all." The taller boy was holding his hand out in an offer Balth couldn't resist. Their hands fit perfectly together, not that Pedro noticed. He just dragged the musician to the dance floor and held him close. Balthazar closed his eyes and let the music wash over him.

_And when you come close, I just tremble._

_And every time, every time you go_

_It's like a knife that cuts right to my soul._

_Only love_

_Only love can hurt like this_

_Only love can hurt like this_

_Must have been a deadly kiss_

_Only love can hurt like this._

Note: I'm really looking forward to being able to write happy stuff, but thanks for hanging in with me through all the angsty stuff!

Thanks for reading, and please comment/like/whatever if you're enjoying the story (or if you have any suggestions).


	7. Trumpets

Title: Is It Weird?

Characters: Benedick, Beatrice, Balthazar, Pedro

Pairings: Beatrice/Benedick, Balthazar/Pedro (eventually), Hero/?

Rating: T (for language)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Nothing Much to Do/Much Ado About Nothing.

A/N: This story is set in a universe where everything happens except Balthazar and Pedro getting together. The chapters will not take place in chronological order, so don't think you've missed anything if chapters don't match up with the ones before. Also, there'll be mention of a major character death, so yeah, there's that warning. Hope everyone enjoys this - I'll try to update as often as possible!

"Sorry, Benedick, but I can't help with a new song today. Pedro and I are going to a friend's performance at Grounds - you know, that coffee shop that opened next to Spinning Records. If you had asked yesterday or something…" I can hear Balthazar get distracted by a voice in the background. Probably Pedro. Those two are basically attached at the hip, and poor Balthy definitely wants to be attached at something else if you know what I mean. Heh. Yeah, you know what I mean.

He seems to have forgotten I'm even on the line. "Hey, Balth, it's no problem. I shouldn't have too hard of a time writing up something."

"Yeah, okay, cool. I gotta go. Pedro's threatening to throw my uke out the window if I don't pay attention to him now. I swear, he's basically a two year-old. No, no, Pedro, stop that…" The line goes dead. Whelp, guess I'm writing a song all by myself.

Today is the one month anniversary of my absolutely amazing relationship with the most absolutely amazing girl in the whole world. Of course, I can never tell Bea that. She'd laugh herself to death. And then where would I be?

I sit down at my desk and pull some paper and a pen over. Okay, I've written lyrics before, and they were absolutely amazing! I even managed to work "horny" in there (in a super tasteful way, or course). This shouldn't be too hard. It's not like I'm expressing my undying love to her. That's out of the way. Now I just have to let her know how much more in love with her I am now than a month ago. Nope, not hard at all.

So, it's been two hours, and my most outstanding line is, "You're so much better than those other hoes \ You and me make the hottest pair of flamingoes." Yeah, so it's not going so well. Maybe I just need to listen to some music for inspiration.

Oooh, what's new on YouTube?

Okay, no more YouTube. Ever. It's a never-ending spiral of - I don't know what. But seriously, I need a time-turner. I have two hours before Bea's supposed to get here, and I have nothing. Maybe hoes and flamingoes is the best I can do.

Let's try this: what do I want to tell Bea? That she's my soulmate? That she's really pretty? That I really like her butt? Yep, that one. I really, really like her butt.

So that's a start. I should find songs that talk about butts.

I think I've got an idea. I'll just sing this song I found for Bea and add my own flair to it. After practicing it a bit, I'm pretty confident on the lyrics, but I'll have it on my phone Balthazar style (just in case).

My phone rings. It's Beatrice. "Hey, babe, what's going on?"

"I'm at your house. I got done with my homework early. You don't mind, right?"

"Nah, I think the front door's open. Just come on up." Damn. Time to give the performance of my life.

"Every time that you get undressed

I hear symphonies in my head

I wrote this song just looking at you

Yeah the drums they swing low

And the trumpets they go…"

I finish the final kazoo trumpeting (as I said, personal flair). Bea is just sitting there, staring. In shock? Horror? Utter lust? I can never really tell what she's thinking.

"So, um, happy anniversary!" She still hasn't moved, so I step forward to hug her.

Bea puts her hands on my shoulders and keeps me from getting closer. Uh oh, that's worrying. She looks me in the eyes and whispers, "I really like your butt, too, dickhead."

Song used in this chapter: Trumpets by Jason Derulo

Note: I have a super hard time writing first-person Benedick, so oops. Thanks to everyone who reads/likes/comments on this story!


End file.
